Jurgen Klopp has revealed the comment that turned him off during talks about potentially becoming Manchester United’s manager years ago.

 

Widely regarded as one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever bosses, Klopp led the Reds to their sixth Champions League title and their first league triumph in 30 years during a glorious nine-year spell. But history could have taken a very different turn if early discussions with United had gone well.

 

Speaking on The Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett, Klopp opened up about why he never took the Old Trafford job despite the club’s stature and rich history.

 

The German coach admitted that he held talks with United more than a decade ago, while still in charge at Borussia Dortmund, but ultimately felt it wasn’t the right fit. He explained that he disliked the tone of the discussions, particularly the club’s apparent focus on signing high-profile players rather than building a long-term football project.

 

> “They tried, but it was the wrong moment, wrong time,” Klopp recalled. “I had a contract at Dortmund and wouldn’t have left for anyone back then. I was one of a few options, but some things said in that meeting I didn’t like.

 

“It felt like, ‘We’re United, we can get any player we want.’ I sat there thinking, ‘That’s not my project.’ It didn’t feel right. I didn’t want to be part of a system obsessed with just bringing back big names like Pogba or Ronaldo. That’s not how you build success.”

 

 

 

Klopp eventually found the project he was looking for when Liverpool came calling in 2015 following Brendan Rodgers’ departure. His arrival sparked a new era at Anfield, as he led the club to every major honour available with a remarkable win rate of 60.9% before stepping down at the end of the 2023/24 season due to exhaustion.

 

Now working as Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer, Klopp says he has no plans to manage another English club — but left the door slightly open for a potential return to Liverpool in the future.

 

“I said I’d never coach another team in England,” Klopp confirmed. “That means if it’s Liverpool — theoretically, yes. I don’t even know what it would take, but I love what I’m doing right now.”